AL Notes – Yankees Youth Could Be Pressed Into Service Due To Spring Training Injuries

The New York Yankees are the odds-on favorite to win the American League East after re-signing MVP outfielder Aaron Judge and locking up free-agent hurler Carlos Rodon, but a slew of injuries have weakened the Bronx Bombers rotation, bullpen, and outfield will force manager Aaron Boone to rely on the organization’s pitching depth and some of their young hitting prospects earlier than expected.

The news regarding the rotation started on a sour note when pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa last month, with deadline acquisition Frankie Montas undergoing labrum surgery after off-season rehab failed to improve right shoulder discomfort. The 29-year-old is expected to be out until at least the All-Star break and could miss the final year of his contract with the Yankees.

Nestor Cortes was prevented from playing for Team USA in this month’s World Baseball Classic due to a hamstring injury, which slowed building up his arm to start the season, but the crafty lefty is slated to make his first spring training start in Florida next week.

The biggest scare came last week when Rodon (who signed a six-year, $162 million deal over the winter) was shut down with a forearm strain. The 30-year-old shook off injury issues that plagued him from 2017 to 2020 to put up consecutive All-Star seasons with Chicago and San Francisco in 2021 and 2022. An MRI last week did not reveal any arm damage, and GM Brian Cashman does not believe that forearm strain is serious, but the Yankees are exercising a higher level of caution and will rest the big lefty and leave him in Florida when the club heads to the Big Apple in a couple of weeks. This leaves Boone with ace Gerrit Cole, righties Luis Severino, Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt, and Cortes to start the season.

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The New York bullpen will also be short-handed. Deadline acquisition Scott Effross will most likely miss the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late last year, and relievers Tommy Kahnle (bicep tendinitis) and Lou Trivino (sprained elbow) have yet to throw.

The Yankees reportedly were toying with altering their outfield configuration to start the season, moving Judge to left field to allow Giancarlo Stanton to play right where he is more comfortable, with Gold Glover Harrison Bader in center, but the former Cardinal suffered a left oblique strain that will keep him out until early May. The club may shift Judge to center to take Bader’s place but would have to rely on oft-injured veteran Aaron Hicks or fallback to light-hitting Estevan Florial or sophomore Oswaldo Cabrera.

Hicks hit .216 and eight home runs in 384 at-bats last season, while the 24-year-old toolsy Florial hit well below the Mendoza line. Barring a late signing, the versatile Cabrera would appear to have the inside track, after hitting .247 and six homers in 44 games. The 24-year-old played multiple infield positions, as well as left and right last season, but with rookie Oswald Peraza and prized prospect Anthony Volpe pushing for spots on the 26-man roster, it may free up Cabrera to handle more of the outfield burden to start the year.